Hanson, Helen Ada Miller

Helen Ada Miller Hanson, 88 years, 1 month, and 18 days of age, of Hiawatha, Iowa, formerly of Cedar Rapids, died Oct. 9, 2009. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids. The Rev Donald Klien will officiate. A vigil will be held Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Teahen Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids, where friends may visit Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. Burial will take place at Linwood Cemetery.

Helen Ada Miller Hanson was born Aug. 21, 1921, in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of Arthur Miller and Clarice (Graham) Miller. Her ancestors were among the founding families in the Center Point/Urbana area. She grew up on farms near Center Point and Urbana, Iowa. While living near Urbana she met her future husband when she was just 15. He was a member of the neighborhood threshing crew; she was helping to feed the crew. After finishing her senior year at Urbana High School, she married Leo Leland Joseph Hanson on Sept. 10, 1938, in Manchester, Iowa, in a ceremony officiated by the mayor, Mr. Drew. Later that day, the couple was married by the Rev. Father Hubert Holsters at Sacred Heart Church in Walker.

Helen and Leo farmed near Vinton, Ely and Spencer's Grove (Walker), before moving to farms near Masonville, Delhi, and finally Hopkinton. Helen was a full partner on the farms and in all endeavors, throughout the 60 years they shared together, until Leo's death on Oct. 14, 1998. During these years they raised four children and later the couple retired to Monticello (1981) and eventually to Cedar Rapids.

Helen was a talented and very involved member of her community. Throughout the years she was active in local chapters of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) holding several offices, including the office of president of the Dyersville Deanery; Grant Wood Art Club (near Anamosa); Good Earth Garden Club (Cedar Rapids); and several other painting and garden clubs. Her flowers decorated many church functions over the years. Her decorated cakes and flower arrangements were part of many special occasions, including several wedding/graduation celebrations. Her floral paintings and paintings of vintage barns and houses hang in many homes in Eastern Iowa. Baskets of vegetables (and flowers) were often shared with friends and neighbors. And thanks to the help and attention given to her and her gardens by her daughter Joyce, she was able to continue with her giving until she moved to a retirement care center in 2008. Her volunteer work included fundraising and public relations for the organizations to which she belonged and she always worked for the church she attended: Sacred Heart (Walker), Immaculate Conception (Masonville), St. John's (Delhi), St. Luke's (Hopkinton), Sacred Heart (Monticello), and most recently St. Pius X (Cedar Rapids). Since moving to Hiawatha, she attended services at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. For many years she (with Leo) volunteered at the annual breakfast at Camp Courageous (Monticello).

An achievement she most savored was graduating from high school in an era where no one else in her family achieved that goal, despite the fact that she had to walk 3 miles each way to get to school. Her independence and spunk was shown early when she organized the “first walkout day” at Urbana High School in 1938. Later, in the early 1950s she became the only female seed corn salesman in Iowa. Even though her husband was officially registered as the salesman, there was no doubt that it was her doing the selling. She was a top performer and paved the way for others to have a similar opportunity using their own name. She enjoyed gatherings where she could entertain her extended family and many friends with large potlucks and much conversation. The potluck she and her beloved husband hosted together for their 60th wedding anniversary in September 1998 was a gathering that was particularly special to her.

She is survived by four children: Dwayne Leo (Belinda) Hanson of Nevada, Iowa, Keith Vincent Hanson of Boca Raton, Fla., Sharron Leila (E. J. “Jack”) McElmeel of Cedar Rapids and Joyce Patricia Hanson of Cedar Rapids; and her 12 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, including Dwayne's children: Denise (Mark) Swanson (and their sons, Nicholas and Matthew) of Cambridge, Iowa, Sandra (Eric) Johnston (and their daughters, Rebecca and Victoria) of Nevada, Iowa, Brian (Leslie) Hanson (and their children: Sarah, Peyton and Samuel) of Nevada, Iowa, Shawn (Keesia Wirt) Hanson (and their sons: Mazian and Bourne) of Des Moines, and Dustin (Kelly) Hanson (and their daughter, River) of Tennessee; Keith's daughter: Katherine Hanson of Boca Raton, Fla.; Sharron's children: Michael (Starr) McElmeel (and their children: Michael, Jade, Tarrah and Jessie) of Cedar Rapids; Deborah (John Clark) McElmeel of Madison, Wis.; Thomas (Tiffany Bass) McElmeel (and their children: Aubrey, Griffin, Gavin and Ava) of Cedar Rapids; Steven (Christina) McElmeel (and their children: E.J., Kylie, Kaydence and Marissa) of Fernley, Nev.; Matthew (Jennifer) McElmeel of Urbandale, Iowa; and Suzanne McElmeel of Cedar Rapids.

Helen is also survived by her sisters, Eileen (Merle) Hepker and Bernita Troxel, Cedar Rapids; and Leo's brother-in-law, Harold Bertling, Cascade.

She was preceded in death by her husband (1998); father (1955); mother (1995); brothers, Allen (1994), Donald (1999) and Loren (2006); and her half sister, Della Cue (1990).

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